Recent Posts: Brain Popcorn

Happy Holidays, all! I apologize for my few months of silence, and my excuses include learning a new role at the New England Museum Association, where I am the new Director of Engagement, running an annual conference, and being out of the country on my honeymoon (reflections on traveling in Japan and lessons I gained […]

When the Museum Education Roundtable had our annual forum last week, featuring Keonna Hendrick and Marit Dewhurst speaking on “Dismantling Racism in Museums,” none of us knew that by this week, the events in Charlottesville and the fallout thereof would be bringing the discussion of racism, not to mention monuments, memorials, history, voice, and tolerance […]

If you missed my webinar yesterday on creative writing for museum professionals, you can catch up now with the recording and download a pdf of the slides, available for free on the NEMA website. You can also watch it directly below, or just have a look at the slideshow without my narration.

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“Mill Brook” & Happy National Poetry Month

You didn’t think I’d let more than a few days of National Poetry Month pass without comment, did you? I celebrated the first week by diving headfirst into Mary Oliver’s latest volume, Blue Horses, which I adored, and also I’m gearing up for leading my session “Found Narratives” at the Mass Poetry Fest in May. Finally, I’m doing my best to participate in the ‘poem a day’ challenge. While I have been taking some of my themes from the challenge they’re hosting at Writers’ Digest, I’ve also been going where my whimsy takes me, so here’s a piece I’m fairly happy with from this month’s early efforts:

Missing the ocean, I have decided
to adopt the brook.
It is not especially approachable,
high-banked and fenced,
a little cantankerous at times
with the culverts and cobblestones
the city has gifted it.
But I am determined
to love its brown burbling,
its occasional patient mallard,
as we all await
the timid spring.

Thanks! It’s both easier and harder than doing the NaNoWriMo 50K: fewer words, but they all need to mean more. Reading sounds like a perfectly delightful option to me–there’s a lot to be said for just taking the month to revel in words without worrying about them. Who are you reading at the moment?

At the moment, I’m reading through Dylan Thomas, Anne Sexton, “The Making of a Poem” (edited by Mark Strand and Eavan Boland), Noel Crook, Traci Brimhall, and a friend of mine Tyree Daye. A good variety along with some flash fiction. 🙂